The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-27
DEPosING A KING OF THE TURF.
Long Bill Selden's Race at Arabaca
Against the Horse coats"
From the NeU York Sun.


CALABAsAs, N. NJ, June 4.-The turf
season in this locality has come to an abrupt
end, and no one knows when there will be
any more sport of that sort. Long Bill
Selden, a sharper, long familiar with set
tiers on the border, who went to Mexico a
year or two ago, returned in May with a
horse which he declared was the fastest in
the Southwest. The beast was not particu
larly handsome, but he was stopper, and
one after another of the crack horses of the
territory was ANONYMOUSLY beaten by him.
Long Bill had more money than he was ever
known to possess before, and, as he grew in
solent, he began to talk about taking his
horse East and entering him on the grand
circuit. AT first it was proposed here to
collect enough money to buy good
horse and clean out Bills steed, but this idea
has been given up, for Bill, as sport, is
now no more.
Last week Bill went over to Arabaca for
the purpose of racing his horse against a
local favorite known as "Oats," and owned
by az firm of saloonkeepers, who were will
ing to back him heavily. Bills horse was
so homely that most of the natives bet
heavily against him, and when the race
was started "Oats" was the favorite at odds
of two to one. Arabaca never had q bigger
crowd than that which assembled to wit
ness this race. Everybody was there, and
everybody was against Bill. Probably if
Bill had not been spoiled by his success at
other places he would have seen that he
was in danger, and would have hedged out
of trouble in some way As it was he went
in for all he could get, won three straight
heats, and, after he had got most of the
money in that section in his own pockets,
got drunk and began to brag on his horse.
This made some of the people excited, and
just at daybreak on the following day a
man in the crowd began to yell that Bills
horse was his, and then he fully identified
Bill as horse thief who had stolen several
animals from him before
1t was useless for the enterprising 'King
of the Turf, as he called himself, to expos
tulate. The evidence was too convincing.
Half a dozen men were willing to swear
that Bill had stolen horses from them, and,
after a short session by an extemporiZed
court, it was decided that Bill should be
hanged that forenoon Things began to
look serious for the old sport, and when the
men came with the rope he wanted to make
terms. Singularly enough, his proposition
received the closest attention, and, after a
long parley, it was agreed that if he gave
up all his money and his horse, and would
agree not to show his face in Arabaca for
ten years, he would be permitted to go.
This he did, and big delegation escorted
him out of town and then chased him out
of sight. The money obtained was divided
between the principal losers, and then a big
party of Arabaca people took Bills horse
and set out for Mexico with the intention of
backing him against local favorites.
Rumor has it that they will take in Gala
basas on their way home, and some of Bills
friends are talking about getting up a big
posse to corral the entire crowd.